The Elements of Sword
by Jinferno
Summary: SAO is no longer a death-game in my version of SAO, SAO is now a virtual world that is similar to how Log Horizon played out. Aincrad is split into four nations at the brink of war towards each other. Drama, action, romance, and more will be released in the future . The prologue is only the background of SAO. Leave comments if you have couple recommendations. Sinon is in SAO.


This is my version of Sword Art Online where SAO was not limited to 10,000 players but was launched without limits. This story will be following similar themes as **_Log Horizon_** but will not be following the story of **_Log Horizon_**. I hope you will enjoy this chapter and if reviews are pleasant, another chapter will be released on a weekly or monthly basis. Thank you for taking the time to find this story and any comment will be appreciated, be it positive or negative.

_**A.N.**_ I skipped towards the point where all the players had been transported to the _**«System Announcement»**_ by Kayaba Akihiko. This chapter is serving as a background which will be a shorter chapter to what I will publish in future chapters. Chapter 1 will be released in less than or in a week. I hope you will stay in wait for the next chapter.

**Prologue: Terra, Aquas, Ignis, Ventus**

"Players, I welcome you all to my world... My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now at this moment, I am the only person who can control this world."

Gasps and awes were heard from the immense number of players in the **_«The Starting City of Terra»_**

"Is he really Kayaba Akihiko?" "He must have spent a lot of time creating this game." "Does he know why we can't log-out?"

All kinds of remarks were heard throughout the crowds. Kayaba Akihiko had raised his hand that drew the attention of all the players in **_«Terra»_**.

"As you may have noticed, the log-out button is missing from the main menu. This is not a defect of the game… This is a special feature of **_«Sword Art Online»_**. The **_«Beta-Testers» _**may have noticed this change from the game but the **_«The Starting City» _**had changed into **_«The Starting City of Terra»_**. This change has been made to create different nations that separate **_«Aincrad»_** since the amount of **_«Players» _**has reached over 500,000. This message is also broadcasting to the other three cities across the **_«1_****_st_****_ Floor»_**: **_«Aquas»_**, **_«Ignis»_**, and **_«Ventus»_**. The reason for this change was to create a base of different nations that will fight over control of **_«The Land of the Floor»_**. Player respawns are still enabled until further notice where I shall make another **_«System Announcement»_**. **_«Terra»_** is the third largest nation with the **_«Player List»_** at 150,000. **_«Aquas»_** at 100,000. **_«Ventus»_** at 200,000. And lastly **_«Ignis»_** at 350,000. Finally, I have added a present to your item storage."

In almost unison, the players gathered at the **_«Terra Fountain» _**all checked their **_«Item Storage»_** to find the item **_«Mirror»_** sitting brightly awaiting to be used.

In a matter of seconds, bright lights illuminated the players till the point where the entire fountain was immersed into the light. After the light began to settle, gasps and shocks were heard from player throughout the area. Their entire body had been portrayed perfectly to the point of blemishes on some players' faces.

"The **_«NerveGear»_** you are using had transported your body into **_«Aincrad» _**to fully immerse yourself into **_«The World of Swords»_**. I am looking forward to the development of **_«Sword Art Online»_**, this ends the tutorial for the **_«Sword Art Online»_** launch."

The invisible wall that held all the players into the fountain had disappeared freeing the captive players held during the _**«System Announcement»**_. Mixed feelings began to spring into the players' hearts. Fear. Excitement. Anger. Sadness. But these feelings would disappear after a few weeks of being in _**«Aincrad»**_. Guilds began forming, parties of players had flourished into the surrounding fields of _**«The Starting City of Terra»**_ and many players had traveled to the towns and cities that were within the boundaries of _**«Terra»**_. Most players did not travel across the borders to other nations because of the unknown and fear of the other nations. Players that did travel across the borders returned wounded or respawned at the _**«Terra Altar»**_ who would share their stories and experiences that were drawn greatly out of proportion. But one truth was spoken clearly by aware players was that each nation was almost identical in its layout but only the make of the towns and cities were different; wooden buildings in _**«Terra»**_, sandstone buildings in _**«Aquas»**_, metal buildings in _**«Ignis»**_, and stone buildings in _**«Ventus»**_

**Chapter 1: A ****_«Savior»_**** or a ****_«Beater» Preview_**

"Someone help!"

Shouts and cries were heard within the forest to the east of **_«Horunka»_**.

Players were being hunted by other players in the night. **_«Ignis»_** inhabitants of the guild PK-Guild "Crows' Reborn" crossed over to **_«Terra»_** in hope of finding **_«Terra»_** inhabitants to **_«Player-Kill»_** or PK to obtain a **_«Random Number Generation»_** which would drop a normal or rare random equipment, weapon or armor, from a **_«Killed Player»_**.

A small party of players who accepted the quest **_«Secret Medicine of the Forest»_**, to obtain the one-handed sword **_«Anneal Blade»_** which was an upgrade from the **_«Iron Swords»_** all players had been equipped starting out, had been ambushed by **_«Player-Killers» _**from another nation.

The clanking and sparks from swords colliding lit up the forest which caught the attention of a solo-player donning **_«The Lightless Cloak»_**, a rare drop black cloak that raised **_«STR»_** and **_«Dodge»_** from **_«Crumbled Golems»_** and the **_«Anneal Blade +6»_**. That solo-player dashed quickly through the forest towards the sparks that lit up the area where the fight was taking place.

"Hyaaaa!"

The black-cloaked player shouted as he used the skill **_«Dash»_** which pierced through one of the PKers causing the player to lose his remaining HP and explode into Polygons waiting the respawn time.

He did not say anything after turning to face the remaining PKers with eyes of aggression and anger…

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter/prologue and I hope you will wait for the first official chapter of "The Elements of Sword"


End file.
